20/11/2016

3 Ways To Stay Inspired

I don't know about you, but I find myself a little lost at this time of the year. The countdown to Christmas with the excitement of seeing my friends and family hasn't yet begun and the thought of summer sunshine is all just a distant memory. November days are short and darkness creeps in by the time the clock hits four. I'm hitting a wall, uninspired and lethargic. I'm looking forward to sleeping and not the thought of waking up in the morning. I really feel affected by the seasons the older I get and long for daylight and bright blue skies as we get into the darkness of winter.

We all hit low points in life right? Whether that be in our careers, our relationships or in our own personal mindset, it can be pretty tough. But like the wise Daniel Beddingfield once sang.. I gotta get thru this... But sometimes it can be harder then we anticipate. In this post I'll be sharing a few things that I like to remember and focus on when I'm not my usual self and hopefully these little tips can help you out too...

1. Keep Busy But Remember To Make Time For Yourself

I pride myself on keeping busy and I'm constantly juggling a full-time job as well as hobbies, a social life and my blog. In some ways, I feel like my lack of motivation and inspiration lately stems from having too much on my plate, trying to do everything and be 20 different people in one, without having the time or energy. Blogging has started to feel like a second job rather than a hobby, something that has gone from an outlet of enjoyment to more of a chore. I don't want that to be the way but sometimes we need to take a step back from a situation to re-discover the passion and to work out who we are and who we want to be. I can hold my hands up and say I'm not very good at taking time out for myself. My brain is constantly running at 100 miles per hour and I get very frustrated when I fail to be productive. It's fair to say that life is competitive but at the same time, I know its wrong to punish myself for not achieving the high standards I set myself. I've started to take time out, go for a run, have a little pamper or simply relax in a comforting environment. You do you.

2. Surround Yourself With Positive People

I'm probably not alone when I say, I have certain people in my life that are not always a positive influence on me. Those who see the negative side of something and fail to be supportive of the life I lead. I once read that we are made up of the 5 people we spend the most time with and the more I think about it, the more truth it has. I love this quote by Karl Marx: "Surround yourself with people who make you happy. People who make you laugh, who help you when you’re in need. People who genuinely care. They are the ones worth keeping in your life. Everyone else is just passing through.” Positive people are generally more successful than those with a pessimistic attitude and can help to inspire you to strive for what you want to achieve.

3. Plan Things To Look Forward To

This can be as big as a dream holiday or as little as a trip to the pub with that group of friends you've been meaning to see for a while. Planning events, trips or time for yourself will bring more happiness to your everyday life and inspire you to work harder to achieve that light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes half the enjoyment can be in the anticipation but other times the most spontaneous of life events can create the best memories. I have no shame in admitting I'm a bit of a control freak, I like to know what is going on at all times and I'm rarely the chilled one that goes with the flow. At the moment I'm researching places to visit next year as my desire to travel never seems to fade.

How do you stay inspired?

Monica x

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